HP Officejet Pro 8500A - Losing my mind: print heads & alignment

[ReneeLise]

Thought I needed fresh toner cartridges - don't do a lot of printing so the old ones were dated 2017.  After installing them the print quality was worse.  Did the whole clean printheads, alignment etc. System says my print heads are good so I watched an HP video and cleaned them.  Now the printer is stuck in a perpetual cleaning printhead, alignment, failed alignment cycle, even though I found the hidden support menu and turned the alignment feature off.  And when I do print something, the page is blank. This printer has been gently used - is it just a lousy machine or what?  I loathe the thought of spending money on a replacement.  

[Valsimot]

Bad news, you will need to replace both printheads, a cost for 2 new printheads (if you will able to get them) will cost you more than a new printer.

[ReneeLise · Accepted solution]

I had an idea this morning and I reinstalled the old cartridges - printer works like a charm now.  I thought to myself 'was there a bum cartridge that caused this calamity?'  I reached out to HP chat and they agreed to replace my order with 4 new cartridges at no charge.  I appreciate their generous gesture and attention to customer service.  I hope this is the end of my ink nightmare.  🙂 

[tex-lee]

Sitto here.  I did the whole clean printheads, alignment etc. System says my print heads are good so I watched an HP video and cleaned them.  Now the printer is stuck in a perpetual cleaning printhead, alignment, failed alignment cycle, I have NOT found any hidden support menu to turn the alignment feature off.  Everytime I try printing, it automatically goes into print head cleaning then alignment.  It fails the alignment.  This printer has been gently used - is it just a lousy machine?  Cleaned everything, installed new cartridges, same. alignment failed.  Bah Humbug.  It goes thru the 30 minutes checks, then prints my print job AOK.  I don;t have timeto wait 30 minutes for each print job.  Moral of this story, trash the HP, getting something that prints.  Like the fella said, the official 'fix' two new print heads, 4 new cartridges, then MAYBE it will print.  This not a good way keep customers.  I've wasted plenty of dollars on the 4 cartridges, I done with HP.  Cleaning Print Heads is a joke.